Chapter 47

As expected, Cedric was standing outside the classroom, waiting. As soon as Judith came out, he approached her.

“Shall we go now?”

Since things had turned out this way, Judith wanted to visit while Axel was still unconscious, so she nodded readily.

Walking down the corridor side by side with Cedric, some students who recognized them tilted their heads in curiosity at the sight of the two together.

Even though they walked slowly, they reached Axel’s hospital room quickly.

Cedric, as if his role was over after guiding Judith, opened the door and said:

“Go in by yourself.”

“……What about you? You said we’d visit together.”

“I stayed here all night yesterday. Axel will be asleep anyway, so just check on him comfortably.”

With that, Cedric said he needed to return to the dormitory to rest and left.

Thus, Judith entered Axel’s hospital room alone.

A space solely for Axel.

A small room with the lights off. There was a window on one wall, but the thick curtains were drawn, so no light came in.

The recovery room contained only a bed. And of course, Axel was lying on it.

The view inside the hospital room somehow felt a bit desolate, making Axel’s still form seem even more pitiful.

She wanted to approach Axel immediately, but hesitated, calling his name softly first.

“Axel.”

The response was only silence. Judith stopped hesitating and moved closer.

Then, standing at a distance from the bedside, she silently looked down at his face.

Long eyelashes casting a gentle shadow, a peaceful face as if he were merely sleeping.

It was hard to believe he was unconscious due to recovering his body, given how handsome he looked.

But seeing his complexion paler than usual, it was clear he wasn’t in good shape. Realizing this made her chest ache.

Judith examined Axel’s body for any injuries and then pulled a chair over to sit silently beside him.

Suddenly, she realized it had been a long time since she had looked at him so peacefully, despite spending many years together.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

Judith finally asked in a thin voice.

On the surface, he didn’t seem to have any major injuries, but she wondered if the shock had caused significant internal damage.

What if that’s why he couldn’t regain consciousness? What if he never woke up?

“Are you so badly hurt that you’re unconscious for so long?”

Judith lowered her head as she spoke. Her voice was already tinged with a sob.

“Or what was so hard and tiring for you? Did I make you suffer?”

These were words she could never say to Axel if he were conscious.

In truth, Axel must be sick of her by now. He must have lost all affection.

So her worries would be unnecessary and annoying to him.

Judith covered her face, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

“If you were tired and exhausted, you should have rested… Why did you push yourself, why? You always told me to take care of my health…”

At that moment, someone grabbed her wrist as she was wiping away tears with her head down.

Thud.

Naturally, there was only Axel beside Judith.

Feeling as if all the blood had drained from her body, Judith held her breath. Only after the hand released her wrist did she manage to lift her head.

“Judith…”

Axel’s grey-blue eyes were blinking beneath his eyelids, shining brightly.

“……What, you-“

“……”

“You were awake?”

At the same time, Judith’s head lifted, revealing her reddened eyes.

“Why did you pretend to be unconscious?”

She tried to feign calmness, but it was impossible. Her voice trembled like a leaf.

Why did Axel pretend to be unconscious even though he was awake?

“Were you playing with me?”

“No, I…”

Judith felt dizzy for a moment and swayed slightly.

Seeing Axel reaching out to support her, she stepped back to avoid him and stared at him intently.

Axel had probably heard everything Judith said a moment ago.

The words she could only say to an unconscious Axel, the words she had kept in her heart.

“Did you find it funny? Was I amusing to you?”

Judith lowered her head and murmured bitterly. She felt empty.

How much more would I have to be swayed by Axel? How much more would Axel have to sway me to be satisfied?

The inside of her eyelids felt as hot as if they had been burned. Afraid that tears would fall, Judith bit her tongue hard.

The pain seemed to clear her mind a little.

“……I didn’t mean to deceive you. I just wanted to comfort you because you were crying.”

Axel lowered his gaze. He looked confused. Perhaps even more so than Judith, who was fooled into thinking he was unconscious.

His grey-blue eyes, shadowed by his eyelashes, seemed to glisten with moisture.

The room was dark, so she couldn’t tell if it was an illusion or not.

Soon, Judith asked Axel in a still sharp tone.

“Did you call me here on purpose, colluding with Cedric?”

“No, Cedric doesn’t know… I just woke up a little while ago.”

After pausing to catch his breath, Axel continued, looking at Judith.

“You’re the only one who knows I’m conscious.”

You’re the only one who knows.

Even in this situation, Judith’s heart wavered at those simple words.

The feeling that Axel treated only her differently doused her anger like a splash of water. It was a remarkable change that surprised even herself.

But Axel didn’t stop there. As if determined to shake Judith completely, he murmured with a forlorn expression.

“So don’t go, Judith.”

“……”

“I’m sick… Can’t you stay with me?”

Cruel Axel Fedelian.

But even as she inwardly accused him of being cruel, Judith couldn’t tear her eyes away from Axel, who was murmuring like that.

And even as she found herself frustrating and blamed herself greatly.

In the end, she couldn’t leave Axel’s side. She couldn’t move as if her feet were glued to the ground.

Judith, without realizing it, moved her body, which had been awkwardly standing, back to the chair. It felt like her mind and body were acting separately.

“Still, I’m glad.”

Axel smiled a forlorn smile at Judith and said.

“I’m glad you still care about me… That you haven’t completely forgotten me.”

Hearing those words, Judith couldn’t bring herself to act coldly towards the sick person, biting her lips hard.

As she barely managed to calm her surprised heart, Axel tried to sit up on the bed.

“Ugh-.”

Startled by his painful groan, Judith hurriedly stopped him.

“Axel, just lie down…!”

But Axel shook his head and finally sat up with a groan.

Panicked, Judith propped a pillow behind him so he could sit comfortably.

Hadn’t he been unconscious for more than a day?

Up close, she could see his hair was tousled. He looked so disheveled that it was hard to believe he was always the neat and tidy student council president.

Even in this situation, Axel chuckled at Judith, who was taking care of him, and quietly spoke.

“Being like this reminds me of the old days, doesn’t it?”

“……”

“When you caught a cold before, I took care of you like this.”

“……I don’t know. I caught a cold more than once.”

At that moment, as Judith was about to sit back in the chair, she met Axel’s glass-like eyes.

His gaze looked so pitiful that it made her nose sting.

When she avoided his gaze, pretending not to notice, Axel lowered his eyes and continued.

“Back then… when we made a snowman together. When you caught a cold and I couldn’t see you, that was hard too.”

“……”

“So I went to see you and caught your cold. But even though it was uncomfortable, I thought it was better that way. Because being with you was familiar and natural.”

Listening to him, she felt a strange sensation.

She had watched Axel for over ten years. Judith prided herself on knowing him well enough to draw his face accurately with her eyes closed.

But why did he seem unfamiliar today?

To Judith, Axel had always been steadfast. He always smiled gently yet remained unshaken.

But now…

He seemed like he would break if touched. And he looked lonely for some reason.

Both thoughts seemed terribly incompatible with Axel.

In the end, unable to bear it, Judith spoke in a cold tone.

“Why are you talking about something from so long ago? Such old things—”

But Axel wasn’t hurt by her words. Instead, his eyes lit up brightly.

“So you do remember.”